10 Awesome Diabetic Recipes for Sauces

Holle loves to cook. She creates a lot of delicious recipes and enjoys sharing them.

Easy Recipes for Diabetics

If you’ve been following my articles, you’ve seen a lot of diabetic recipes in the past few months. After I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, I was determined to reverse the condition with diet and exercise without going on medication. Thank goodness I’ve been successful, and I've dropped 56 pounds!

Through trial and error, I’ve been able to create lots of tasty diabetic recipes for everything from breads to casseroles to desserts. My diabetic meals are hearty and delicious, so I feel satisfied while following a diabetic diet. I use lots of spices, herbs, and some pretty creative substitutions, and one area I’ve concentrated on is sauces.

Sauces can really add a lot of pizzazz to practically any dish. Unfortunately, most sauces are high in calories, sugar, simple carbs, and/or fat. With these easy diabetic recipes, however, you can add another flavorful component to your healthy recipes without wrecking your diet.

10 Healthy Low-Carb Recipes for Diabetics

1. BBQ Sauce
2. Tartar Sauce
3. Prime Rib Sauce
4. Cocktail Sauce
5. Steak Sauce
6. Sloppy Joe Sauce
7. Chocolate Dipping Sauce
8. Yum Yum Sauce
9. Honey Mustard Sauce
10. Sweet and Sour Sauce

What Makes a Recipe Healthy?

With healthy recipes, the word “healthy” can be relative. For my specific diet plan, “healthy” means low carb. I eat lots of lean meats, fish, poultry, and non-starchy vegetables. As long as I consume low carb recipes, my blood sugar stays within normal limits. For some people, however, healthy recipes are synonymous with low-fat recipes.

All the diabetic recipes I’ve posted here are low-carb recipes, but you can also turn them into low-fat recipes with a substitution or two. I’ll tell you how. Believe me—I’ve taste-tested all these diabetic recipes, and they pass with flying colors. I’m a dedicated “foodie,” and I don’t eat food that doesn’t taste good!

1. Low-Carb BBQ Sauce

For this recipe for barbecue sauce, you’ll need either Heinz reduced sugar ketchup or Walden Farms zero-calorie ketchup. The Heinz has one carb per tablespoon, while the Walden Farms version contains no carbs. You’ll get a thicker, richer sauce with the Heinz, by the way.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup ketchup (see above)
• 1/4 cup Ideal Brown brown sugar substitute
• 2 tablespoons prepared mustard
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 2 teaspoons liquid smoke
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon cayenne

Directions

Combine all ingredients and store in a covered container in the fridge until ready to use.

2. Low-Carb Tartar Sauce

If you’re not interested in low-fat recipes, use regular mayonnaise for this tartar sauce recipe. For low-fat tartar sauce, use reduced-fat mayo, and for no-fat tartar sauce, use Walden Farms zero-calorie mayonnaise.

Ingredients

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons sugar-free sweet pickle relish
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons grated onion
• 1 tablespoon prepared mustard
• 1 tablespoon granulated Splenda
• 1 teaspoon dried dill
• 1/2 teaspoon Lowry garlic salt with parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

Combine all ingredients, making sure Splenda completely dissolves. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to four days.

3. Low-Carb Prime Rib Sauce

What’s a nice serving of prime rib without a zesty prime rib sauce? For a low fat version of this recipe, use reduced-fat sour cream and mayo.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 3 tablespoons grated horseradish
• 2 tablespoons granulated Splenda
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon Lawry’s garlic salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon onion powder

Directions

Combine all ingredients. Serve chilled or at room temperature, with prime rib, steak, or roast beef.

4. Low-Carb Cocktail Sauce

A tasty cocktail sauce can turn ho-hum healthy recipes like broiled fish into delicious meals. Of course, it’s also great with boiled shrimp, steamed crabs, crab cakes, oysters, and grilled scallops. As with my recipe for barbecue sauce, you can use reduced-sugar ketchup or calorie-free ketchup.

Ingredients

• 1 cup ketchup
• 3 tablespoons grated horseradish
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoons granulated Splenda
• 1/2 teaspoon Louisiana hot sauce

Directions

Blend all ingredients and store, covered, in fridge.

5. Low-Carb Steak Sauce

This is a really good steak sauce. In fact, my hubby loves it. He’s not on any special diet, and he doesn’t even know that he’s eating one of my diabetic recipes!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup ketchup (reduced sugar or zero-carb)
• 2 tablespoons grated onion
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons Ideal Brown brown sugar substitute
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons Liquid Smoke
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• Salt, to taste

Directions

Add all ingredients to blender or food processor. Puree until smooth. Serve on steaks, burgers, or pork chops.

6. Low-Carb Sloppy Joe Sauce

Traditional sloppy joe sauce is loaded with carbs and simple sugars, even if no sugar is added. The problem is the tomato sauce, which might contain over eighteen grams of carbohydrates per cup. On the other hand, a cup of Contadina crushed tomatoes has zero carbs.

Ingredients

• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 cup crushed tomatoes (canned)
• 2 tablespoons Splenda
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon fresh minced basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• Salt, to taste

Directions

Microwave diced onion and pepper until soft. Add remaining ingredients and stir well. Use sauce with ground beef to make sloppy joes, or add to one pound of cooked and crumbled ground beef for a low carb spaghetti sauce.

7. Low-Carb Chocolate Dipping Sauce

The main ingredient in this low carb chocolate dipping sauce is sugar-free chocolate syrup. I’ve found that such chocolate syrups, regardless of the brand, have a slight bitter taste. That’s why I tweaked the syrups into something that tastes better.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sugar-free chocolate syrup
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon granulated Splenda
• Pinch cinnamon

Directions

Place chocolate syrup and butter into a microwave-safe dish. Microwave until the butter has almost completely melted—about 30 seconds. Remove from microwave and stir immediately. When the butter has melted, stir in Splenda and cinnamon.

8. Low-Carb Yum Yum Sauce

Yum yum sauce is that pale pink sauce you’ve probably enjoyed in Japanese steak houses. Use it as a dipping sauce for seafood, steak, or chicken, or serve it over rice. I like it with stir-fried veggies, too.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons granulated Splenda
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon mild paprika
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne

Directions

Combine all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Bring to room temperature before serving.

9. Low-Carb Honey Mustard Sauce

This honey mustard sauce doesn’t actually contain honey. Instead, I use zero-calorie pancake syrup. I like the maple undertones in this sauce. I use my low carb honey mustard sauce on sandwiches and as a dipping sauce.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup prepared mustard
• 1/4 cup sugar-free maple pancake syrup
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon granulated Splenda

Directions

Mix together all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for several hours before serving.

10. Sweet and Sour Sauce

I saved the best original recipe for last. Of all my diabetic recipes and low carb recipes, this one is near the top of the list. Seriously—I think I could drink this stuff! A low carb recipe for sweet and sour sauce was pretty tricky. Using a sugar substitute in a traditional sweet and sour sauce concoction ended up as a watery mess, so I had to do some experimenting. I came up with the following, and it’s awesome!

Combine the first seven ingredients in a glass or plastic bowl.

1 / 4

Cook Time

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Smucker's sugar-free orange marmalade
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• pinch salt
• pinch ground ginger
• 2 tablespoons Ideal Brown brown sugar substitute
• 2 tablespoons diet fruit punch

Instructions

1. Combine the first seven ingredients in a glass or plastic bowl. Microwave until liquefied—about 30 seconds.
2. Remove from microwave and stir in Ideal Brown and fruit punch.
3. Serve warm.

Questions & Answers

Question: Where can I find Idea brown sugar? If I substitute stevia for Splenda, should I use the same amount?

Answer: I found Idea brown sugar on Amazon. As for stevia, there are different strengths and concentrations.

Comments

Joy Helweg on September 09, 2018:

Wonderful tasteful sauces

Holle Abee (author) from Georgia on September 29, 2017:

Melanie, try Diet Hawaiian Punch. It comes in gallon jugs and provides lots of vitamin C. I buy mine at Walmart. Thanks for reading!

Melanie on September 27, 2017:

Can u tell me what the sugar free fruit punch is is it a dry packet or a soda ???

Ole on October 29, 2016:

You should opt for Stevia instead, as Splenda being Synthetic, it is the 6th in the Sythetic line of Sugars, which is a NeuroToxin!

Sucralose is marketed as Splenda whose ads say “Made from Sugar so it tastes like Sugar.”

What the ads don’t tell you is that sucralose (Splenda) is sugar bonded to Chlorine, making it a Toxic Chlorocarbon.

And there’s a long list of common Neurological side effects including Headaches, Migraines, Dizziness, Brain Fog, Anxiety, Depression, and Tinnitus.

Another side effect is weight gain which rather defeats the purpose of this additive.

A surprising side effect of Sucralose is that it prevents Nutrient absorption and reduces the amount of good bacteria in your intestines by up to 50%...

Think carefully, before using any on the products, on the Synthetic NeuroToxin list:

Acesulfame K, Aspartame, Cyclamate, Neohesperidin, Saccharine, Sucralose (Splenda)!!!

PDGreenwell from Kentucky on December 10, 2013:

You have some recipes I've never tried here. I'm pretty excited about trying the Sweet and Sour sauce for instance! I have all the ingredients already! Thank you for these recipes!

Gloria Siess from Wrightwood, California on June 05, 2012:

Your sauces sound and look wonderful. I am diabetic and want to try these. Awesome Hub!!

Holle Abee (author) from Georgia on June 05, 2012:

Many thanks, prektjr! I bet your dad will enjoy some of these diabetic recipes. I sure do!

Holle Abee (author) from Georgia on June 05, 2012:

Hi, Marcy! Sauces are one of my "specialties." lol

Debbie Carey from Riverton, KS, USA on June 04, 2012:

Wonderful ideas and information! Thank you for sharing these with us! I look forward to giving them a try! My father is a diabetic and it is often a challenge cooking for him, but you make it look easy! Voted up, useful and interesting!

Marcy Goodfleisch from Planet Earth on June 04, 2012:

You are like an encyclopedia of cooking information. I seldom make my own sauces, but I know I'm missing out on some great tastes by relying on store-bought versions. Thanks for these ideas and the recipe information!